Methods for managing yields of engaged services created from reservable services available in a database-driven transaction system

ABSTRACT

A Method for managing a yield of engagements created from available resources (reservables) within a database-driven transaction system is provided. The method enables yield management related to client utilization of available resources. The method, according to a preferred embodiment includes the steps of (a) compiling history records relative to engagement-disposition parameters associated with suppliers of resources contracting with the transaction system; (b) determining, through ongoing study of the history records, average utilization percentages of the actual resources by engaged clients at the locations of the resources and (c) adjusting the volume of actual supplier resources represented within the transaction system, which may be converted to engagements, the adjustment based on mathematical factors created from the average resource-utilization percentages experienced at the supplier locations. In one embodiment, the method is expanded to include yield management based on geographic location and clients are given price incentives for engaging resources which are not local to them in order to balance utilization states of individual regions where resources are available.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is in the area of services provided byservice suppliers, and pertains more particularly to methods formanaging yields of engaged services created from reservable servicesrepresented within a database-driven transaction system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The phenomenal growth of the public network known as the Internetis notoriously well-known at the time of the present patent application.This growth has been, and continues to be, in the sheer number of theend-users, in the number and diversity of hosting enterprises providinginformation and services to the users, and in the quantity and qualityof equipment and interconnections making out the physical presence ofthe Internet.

[0003] The phenomenon of the Internet network motivates continuingdevelopment in every aspect. End-user equipment and software is evolvingat a rapid rate, bringing more versatile Internet capable appliances,for example. Means for and bandwidth of connections are evolving aswell, as is the capability of data transfer systems, such as routers inthe network.

[0004] Another area of significant development in the Internet world isin services provided by enterprises hosting service centers on theInternet. There have been hundreds of new, and in many cases innovativebusiness models, or new ways of doing business. The present invention,in many aspects, is in this technology category.

[0005] The presence, growth, and development of the Internet is acommunication phenomenon. The Internet is providing new, better, andfaster means of communication Because all human transactions, beingagreements reached between persons after consideration of alternatives,are reached through communication, the Internet offers great newopportunities for enhancing transactions and their dynamics. Allbusinesses advertise and sell either or both products and services. Thepresent invention, and various embodiments, deals with servicetransactions.

[0006] The record of the development of the Internet is a record ofexpanding ways in which those who have services to sell can offer andtransact those services to the Internet-connected world. At the time ofthe present patent application, there are already many Internet systemsin place for offering and contracting services. Also, in most cases, theservices offered our reservable; that is, one may contract to purchasesuch a service at a particular place and at a particular time. Someenterprises, for example, allow people to reserve tables at variousrestaurants on specific dates and at specific times. Others allow golfenthusiasts to reserve tee-times at various golf courses. All suchsystems advance consumer facility in at least a small way. Still, agreat number of individual sites, each offering one or a few relatedservices, creates a maze of difficulty for the Internet consumer.

[0007] A challenge to providing suppliers with a consistent flow ofservice-engagements, especially in a multi-supplier transaction system,exists in part because of a variable nature of success (hits) related toexact and defined resources becoming transformed into a finite number ofclient engagements wherein the defined volume of reservable defines theexact number of engagements that may exist associated with a particularresource. For example, a certain percentage of engagements will becancelled, rescheduled, or simply turn into no shows. Likewise, aparticular supplier located in one region may have a propensity, due tolocation, for attracting a smaller customer base than say a supplier ofa same or like service located in a more favorable area.

[0008] Part of the attraction that brings in suppliers providingresources to a central transaction-exchange system is the prospect of aboost in customer acceptance and utilization of their individualresources. Therefore, it is important to manage and control yields ofreservables that have been engaged by clients to an extent that oneresource is not overloaded while another like resource is underutilized. This is especially true when the transacting system handles aplurality of nondescript suppliers.

[0009] What is clearly needed are methods for managing yields of engagedresources created from reservable resources represented within adatabase-driven transaction system such that suppliers and customers arebetter serviced with respect to assuring resource availability forclients and resource utilization for suppliers. Such methods wouldenhance and distribute economic participation over a plurality ofregions thereby aiding and balancing distribution of available resourcesquantified by the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method formanaging a yield of engagements created from available resources(reservables) within a database-driven transaction system is provided.The method comprises the steps of (a) compiling history records relativeto engagement-disposition parameters associated with suppliers ofresources contracting with the transaction system; (b) determining,through ongoing study of the history records, average utilizationpercentages of the actual resources by engaged clients at the locationsof the resources; and (c) adjusting the volume of actual supplierresources represented within the transaction system which may beconverted to engagements, the adjustment based on mathematical factorscreated from the average resource-utilization percentages experienced atthe supplier locations.

[0011] In a preferred aspect of the method in step (a), theengagement-disposition parameters include average percentage statisticsrelated to abandoned engagements and/or rescheduled engagements. In thesame aspect, the engagement-disposition parameters may also includeaverage percentage statistics related to number of clientssimultaneously utilizing one engagement period.

[0012] In one aspect of the method in step (a), history records areindividual to individual suppliers of resources. In another aspect, asingle history record compiled encompasses a plurality of like resourcesavailable from a plurality of suppliers.

[0013] In one aspect of the method in step (c), the volume of actualsupplier resources is multiplied by the mathematical factor to determineadditional engagement opportunities. In a variation of this same aspect,the volume of actual supplier resources is multiplied by themathematical factor to determine a restriction of engagementopportunities.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, a method for managinga yield of engagements created from available resources (reservables)within a database-driven transaction system comprising the steps of (a)categorizing like resources available from suppliers according togeographic region; (b) compiling historical records related toengagement-disposition parameters associated with all of the likeresources in each defined geographic region; (c) studying the historicalrecords to determine and define percentage statistics of resourceutilization associated with each region; (d) identifying immediategeographic preferences of clients engaging the resources availablewithin the transaction system; and (e) load balancing engagementutilization states of available resources in each region by offeringincentives to clients willing to engage resources available in anon-local region.

[0015] In one aspect of the above-described method, in step (a), theresources include human resources. In a variation to this aspect, theresources may also include service-bay resources. Also in one aspect, instep (b), the historical records include parameters related tomultitasking capabilities of human and inanimate resources.

[0016] In one embodiment in step (d), geographic preferences includeregions local to client residences. In an enhancement to this aspect instep (d), geographic preferences include real-time locations of clientsengaging in travel. In some aspects, in step (e), the identification ofsuppliers is not known to the client until the time of engagement ofavailable resources.

[0017] Now, for the first time methods for managing yields of engagedresources created from reservable resources represented within adatabase-driven transaction system is provided. The methods are suchthat suppliers and customers are better serviced with respect toassuring resource availability for clients and resource utilization forsuppliers. Such methods enhance and distribute economic participationover a plurality of regions thereby aiding and balancing distribution ofavailable resources quantified by the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0018]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a reservables transaction systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of data organization andinter-relationships in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating supplier communicationwith the system in an embodiment of the invention.

[0021]FIG. 4a is a diagrammatical representation of system data entitiesaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0022]FIG. 4b is a diagrammatical representation of system data entitiesaccording to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0023]FIG. 5 is an illustration of a six-week time window applied to thesystem data base.

[0024]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary transactionprocess in an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Overview

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present intention, anInternet-connected system is provided wherein a very large number oftypically small businesses may offer reservable services to an evengreater number of Internet-connected consumers/clients. The invention isnot limited, however, to small businesses, and applies in manyembodiments to enterprise aggregates of a plurality of businesses orservice providers. The number of clients (customers) is virtuallyunlimited, as practically everyone has, or may gain access tocommunication tools to interact with services of the invention. Thenumber and types of businesses and aggregated enterprises which mightparticipate in such a model is also essentially unlimited.

[0027] The present inventors have developed a unique system and modelfor facilitating transactions among such businesses and clients. In thissystem, a service provider may participate if the services offered canbe presented to potential clients as time-associated reservableentities. The present inventors term such service entities asreservables, and this term is used throughout the present patentapplication.

[0028] Reservables

[0029] A few specific examples will clarify what the inventors mean byreservables. Beauty salons, considered as a class of service suppliers,will all typically employ hair stylists, that is persons with the skilland training (and perhaps licensing as well) to do hair styling. Allhair stylists also may be considered to offer services within a certainbroad definition of hairstyling services, including such as hairwashing, permanents, and the like, and such services may be consideredto typically endure for certain time durations. There are thereforeglobal definitions that may be made for hairstyling services. Aparticular salon, in a particular locale, however, will employ aspecific group of persons for performing hair styling services, and eachof these persons will have an individual set of skills, and anindividual matrix of availability. As a concrete example, Miranda Chavezmay be employed by XStream Hair Salon in San Mateo, Calif., and she mayoffer (through her employer at the supplier's place of business)hairstyling within a specific class of styles, each session to consume atime duration of 90 minutes, and priced at $35 per session.

[0030] Given the above discussion of general service and particularservices relative to resources, a reservable for the purposes of thepresent specification, is at the most particular level: A reservablewill appear in the database of the system of the invention as, forexample, a Miranda Chavez styling session, with its attendantconstraints on time, nature of service, and price. And is differentiatedspecifically from a Barbara Turner styling session, which might appearas a reservable in the database, having a different duration, applyingto different hair styles, and at a different price, even though BarbaraTurner may be employed by the same supplier.

[0031] Further to the above, Miranda Chavez may be multi-talented, andenabled by skill set, license, and whatever else might be required, todo pedicures as well as hair styling. In this case there may well bereservables in the database, constrained particularly to Miranda, havinga duration, a description of service content, and a price, forpedicures. By virtue of two different reservables, Miranda may beengagable for any one of several services in the same or overlappingtime durations. The system of the invention is required, as customersengage services (make reservations), to amend the inventory ofreservables accordingly. That is, when Miranda is engaged for a pedicurefrom 2:00 to 3:00 PM on a particular afternoon, she will no longer beavailable to do hair styling in that time frame, and the system has toamend the inventory of reservables to suit.

[0032] In some cases reservables assume another dimension, that ofcapacity. Consider a movie house, for example. A reservable for theBijou theatre may be for a performance of Batman III from 2:00 PM to5:30 PM on Sunday June 4th. The theatre seats 75, so the reservable hasthe dimension of capacity. The reservable continues to be available forengagement until 75 persons have signed up for the performance (boughttickets, or engaged to buy tickets). More detail is provided belowregarding reservables, and how they are generated and managed in thesystem of the invention.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a reservablehas new and unique characteristics. In conventional systems anenterprise may provide, through the Internet, for example, a servicemaking reservations for the particular enterprise. There is always astrict relationship between the supplier providing the service and thecustomer contracting for the service. In one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention reservables are defined independent of suppliers:reservables can be defined, within the common framework of theinventors' exchange, to capture the characteristics of a broad range ofbusinesses and the services they provide. One feature of the presentinvention that makes this characteristic possible and even desirable isthe exchange nature of the system of the present invention. Over a largenumber of suppliers of various services, and at least an equally largenumber of potential customers for such services, the inventors havediscovered that there is an opportunity to define and market salableservices (reservables) essentially independent of suppliers.

[0034] A further example may help to clarify the nature ofsupplier-independent reservables. Assume, for example, that a relativelylarge number of suppliers of automotive services in a particular definedgeographic region all have mechanics trained to do oil changes, andtherefore offer oil changes as reservables. If there are severalsuppliers who meet the requirements of this reservable, and theconstraints in the reservables are very close in nature, then theservice may be offered completely independently of specific suppliers.Under these circumstances a potential client or customer comes to theexchange with a desire to make an appointment for an oil change withinthe bounds of a particular geographic region. The exchange presents tothe potential customer from the database of reservables available to thesystem, and perhaps several options pertaining to location, price, andso forth, and potential customer must make a decision as to whether tocontract for the service or not.

[0035] There are other unique characteristics of reservables: Forexample, a reservable in a preferred embodiment of the present inventionmay be embodied as a semi-continuous representation of the time intervalover which the corresponding service is offered (available). Forexample, a particular barber's schedule on an “open” day (noreservations yet made) might be represented by a single reservable timeinterval from 10 am to 5 pm (the barber's hours). Note that a reservableis represented in a time interval, rather than a time span. An essentialdifference is that a time interval is finite, having a specific startand end time, while a time span is potentially infinite. A specificservice request from a potential customer might at some point beaccommodated for a haircut, matching all of the criteria for thisparticular barber, including a desire to have this haircut take placewithin the time interval representing the barber's reservable. Anengagement transaction is made, and a new database entity is created forthe engagement, including the customer, the supplier, the time, theprice, and so on.

[0036] Now the system must recalculate (regenerate) the reservableinventory. The time and duration for the engagement is no longeravailable as a reservable for the particular barber. Let us assume theengagement made is for a haircut at 2:00 PM to last 1 hour (to 3:00 PM).The 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM interval as a reservable for this barber nowbecomes two intervals; one from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and the other from3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

[0037] This implementation differs from systems which use discreterepresentations of service availability: for instance, the barber'savailability might be represented by 14 “bins”, each 30 minutes inlength, end-to-end, running from 10 am to 5 pm.

[0038] Some of the advantages of the new approach are: 1. speed oflookup (fewer reservables to consider), 2. flexibility and efficiency(no need to decide ahead of time how time should be broken up, moreopportunity for optimization/filling gaps), 3. accuracy (can accommodateto-the-millisecond “granularity”, which would be impossible to representin reasonable space/time with a discrete system which would have togenerate 25,200,000 millisecond-long bins for this single 7-hour day).

[0039] This is not to say that the instant invention is limited to thekinds of time interval reservables defined immediately above. In theinstant invention discrete reservables may be used instead of, or inconjunction with interval reservables, and, in some cases, reservablesmay be created on-the-fly as requests are made.

[0040] The services hierarchy, to which reservables are associated, isimportant as it helps to enable search features that are describedabove. The services hierarchy is in general a system for classifyingservices by type and region. For example, there may be a high-levelcategory for automotive repair services, which is subdivided at a lowerlevel into top and body repair, engine repair, transmission repair andreplacement, lubrication services, and so on. Individual ones of theselower-level categories may be further divided into a more granularmatrix. Engine repair, for example, can be further categorized intoforeign and domestic models. Although reservables may be, in specialcases, supplier-independent, they can also be extended to captureparticular properties for some suppliers. For instance, reservablesmight have a notion of “capacity” to represent a movie (for example):each ticket sold to the movie would decrement 1 unit of capacity fromthe reservable, until it's capacity reached 0. The dimension of capacityin reservables extends to many cases, such as restaurants (# of tablesand seats), theatres and the like, and to any situation where more thana single customer may be accommodated in a service simultaneously.

[0041] Engaged Reservable (Engagement)

[0042] An engagement, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, is in many cases quite similar to what is commonly known as areservation. In this sense, a customer, taking advantage of the systemto arrange for a service to be performed, after some negotiation withthe system, transacts with the system to engage, or reserve, a serviceto be performed at a particular time and place, and typically at aparticular price. In most cases the engagement is supplier-specific;that is, the customer transacts to receive a service to be performed bya resource associated with a particular supplier. As an example, abarbershop may have several barbers (resources) available to do haircutsat particular times, and the customer, in the transaction, agrees toreceive a haircut from one of the barbers at a particular time, on aparticular date, at a particular price at a particular place, usuallythe premises of the barbershop (but certainly not always so). In somecases, for example, the barber service may specialize in outservicehaircuts, and the barber will come to the location of the customer toperform the service.

[0043] Following the concept of supplier-independent reservables in onepreferred embodiment, engagements may also be supplier-independent. Thatis, a customer, visiting the service exchange in an embodiment of thepresent invention, may engage a reservable without being matched with aspecific resource or supplier. This is quite different from aconventional reservation, because, at the time of contracting for thereservable, the customer does not know where and how to take delivery ofthe service contracted, that is, the engagement. In this interestingcase, the enterprise hosting the exchange has an option over areasonable time window of selecting among several suppliers havingresources capable of fulfilling the requirements of the engagement, andeven of soliciting suppliers to fulfill engagements already made.Further examples of such supplier-independent reservables andengagements are described in more detail below.

[0044] System Architecture

[0045]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to a preferredembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 illustrates a client station11 having a personal computer (PC) 13 and a telephone 15 Apersonal-computer such as PC 13 in a home is a typical way in which aperson may access and browse the Internet. The skilled artisan willrecognize and understand that such a PC is but one of many ways a clientmay access the Internet network. At the time of the present patentapplication there is rapid growth in the use of handheld devices forInternet access. Such devices include personal organizers, cellulartelephones, handheld computers, and several other devices. PC 13 in FIG.1 is therefore meant to represent all of the many Internet appliancesthat may be used to access and browse the Internet, except the case ofInternet access by cellular telephone, which is represented in FIG. 1 bytelephone 20 acting through interface 22.

[0046] PC 13 is shown as connecting through an Internet service provider(ISP) 17 to the Internet network represented by cloud 31. The skilledartisan will also recognize that there are a number of ways thatInternet appliances may connect to the Internet network. Computerizedtelevisions, WEB TV, for example, may connect through cable modem. Somehandheld devices are now available that connect in a wireless fashion.Cellular telephones always connect, if Internet-enabled, wirelessly.Also, devices connecting by telephone modem may do so through a standardanalog line, and integrated services digital network (ISDN) line, or ahigh-speed digital services line (DSL). The connection of PC 13 toInternet cloud 31 through ISP 17 is therefore meant to represent all ofthe conventional ways Internet appliances may connect to the Internet.

[0047] Backbone 19 shown in Internet 31 is meant to represent all of theinterconnectivity in the Internet. Two servers, server 21 and server 25represent the great number of Internet connected servers that areaccessible by the public. A particular transaction server 23 is hostedby an enterprise providing reservable transaction services according toan embodiment of the present invention. Transaction server 23 has accessto a data repository 27, which, in a preferred embodiment, contains asophisticated database according to embodiment of the present invention.Transaction server 23 also is enhanced by a software suite 29, whichrepresents unique software according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

[0048] Client station 11 in FIG. 1 also is shown as having a telephone15 which connects to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 33.Telephone 15 is capable of reaching all destinations in PSTN 33,including an interactive voice response (IVR) system 35, which, in theembodiment described with reference to FIG. 1, is associated withtransaction server 23, and hosted by the same enterprise that hoststransaction server 23. IVR 35 is shown as connected to transactionserver 23 by a communication link 37. The skilled artisan will recognizethat there are a number ways this communication may take place. Link 37may be an optical link, a high-speed land-line, a wireless link, or thelink may be accomplished by a (typically secure) Internet connection tobackbone 19. There are a variety of possibilities. Unique functionalityof the system including transaction server 23 and IVR 35 is described inplural aspects and in enabling detail below.

[0049] In addition to the above, access to server 23 may also be made bycellular telephone. A single cellular telephone 20 is illustrated inFIG. 1 as connecting wirelessly to a cellular interface 22, connectingconventionally to PSTN 33. The skilled artisan will be aware that block22 represents all off the equipment and connections that are known inthe art for communication by cellular telephone. Also that the singletelephone 20 represents the ability of customers and suppliers tointeract with the system of the invention by cellular telephone.

[0050] Also shown in FIG. 1 is a supplier station 12, quite similar toclient station 11. A supplier, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, is quite different from a customer. The supplier, forexample, is typically a small business that contracts with the hostingenterprise to offer services as reservables. The means by which asupplier communicates with the exchange hosted on server 23, however, isessentially the same as the means by which customers communicate withthe exchange. In FIG. 1 supplier station 12 is equipped with a PC 14connecting via modem through an ISP to Internet backbone 19 and thenceto server 23. Station 12 represents all suppliers contracting with theservice at server 23. Supplier station 12 also has a telephone 16connecting to PSTN 33. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan thatthe arrangement shown is exemplary, and supplier communication withserver 23 might be accomplished in a variety of other ways.

[0051] Data Structures and Interconnectivity

[0052]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of data structures andinterrelationships in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.The database structure in preferred embodiments of the present inventionis unique in that inventory which is added and marketed through thetransaction service by service suppliers is defined and organized asreservable entities. In general a reservable is a data record defining acapability for performing a specific service by a specific resource overa particular time interval, as described above. The present Inventorsare aware that database operations are not particularly efficient whenlooking for entities that do not exist (their nonexistence can only bedetermined by examining the result of inverting all positive entities).In a conventional operation providing reservations to clients orcustomers, the positive entities are the scheduled reservations orappointments, rather than those potential appointment not yet made. Yetit is a potential appointment not yet made that a customer will beshopping for, and thus that the database will be searching for. TheInventors have solved this efficiency problem by defining the salableinventory as positive data structures called reservables, separate fromreservations. At the point that a customer contracts to purchase areservable, that reservable becomes an engagement (a reservation) (a“negative” entity).

[0053] As described briefly above, the system of the present inventionin one preferred embodiment, embodied in one or more transactionservers, such as server 23 of FIG. 1, functions as an exchange betweenservice suppliers and customers for the services supplied. In thisaspect there would be many suppliers of services and many customers. Inanother aspect of the invention the system could be hosted and operatedby a single host/supplier, such as a company like Midas, which marketsservices in automotive areas, such as exchanging old mufflers for new;or by a company like Budget, which provides rental cars for whichcustomers make reservations. This single business might offer manygeographically disparate service providers to customers, eachrepresenting individual members of its franchise or chain, and each mayoperate with varying degrees of autonomy (both within the system and inits actual business practices).

[0054] The present inventors, in developing the system of the inventionin preferred embodiments have provided numerous innovative structuresand techniques, many of which, in alternative embodiments, may beprovided as separate and unique business-to-business services. Theseinnovative structures and techniques are described in enabling detailherein and below.

[0055] Referring now to FIG. 2, as an overview of the database in apreferred embodiment of the present invention, organized by datastructures, reservables 39 represent the inventory of time-basedentities (services) offered for reservation and sale, as describedabove. Reservables are calculated (instantiated) by a unique time-linealgebra in preferred embodiments of the invention, from unions andintersections of other data structures, in particular from such asresources, suppliers, resource capabilities (skill sets), and servicedefinitions. Specific suppliers having certain fixed and variableresources may contract with the exchange in a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. The suppliers contracting with the exchange arelisted and identified as data structures 41, labeled suppliers.Typically, each contracting supplier is identified by suchcharacteristics as full name, at least one address, city, state orprovince, a country code, a postal code, a vertical key, determining towhich vertical services industry the supplier's business may beclassified, a region key, determining the geographic region of thesupplier, certain other properties, and a flag for availability. Datastructure 41 identifying suppliers is implemented in the database in aformal manner in which some, but perhaps not all, of the characteristicsdescribed may be required. In some embodiments, as described above,there may be but a single supplier to whom all resources are associated.

[0056] Another data entity and structure defined and useful in apreferred embodiment of the present invention is that of a resource,recorded in data structure 43. A resource differs from a supplier inthat a resource may perform or be used typically for one service at atime, and when in use is typically not available for any other use, orwhen engaged for some future use is not available for engagement at thesame time by another customer. For example, a person may be a resource,such as Sam the mechanic who does oil changes. When Sam is engaged inchanging your oil, he cannot be engaged in changing my oil, and when Samis committed to change my father's oil next Thursday at 2:00 PM to 2:30PM he cannot be available to be engaged by another for that or anotherservice in the same time interval. Further, an object may be a resource.For example, a service bay in which Sam the mechanic may perform oilchanges, may also be considered a resource for purposes of embodimentsof the present invention. Any supplier may provide a broad range ofservices utilizing individual resources.

[0057] In some cases the idea of a strict application of resources maybe loosely enforced. For example, under some conditions, overbooking maybe practiced. This would be done in situations of a supplier having arelatively large number of resources, and a clear history of no-shows.Such controlled overbooking is a function of yield-management, which isa service of the system to certain registered suppliers under controlledcircumstances. In other cases, it is conceivable that some resources maybe capable of multitasking. It is well-known, for example, that ahairdresser may be working with one customer while another is under adryer, and so on. There are many other possibilities of multi-tasking inservice industries, and the system of the invention accommodates thisconcept.

[0058] Every resource has specific capabilities and uses, and thesecapabilities are recorded as a separate data structure 45. Each resourcecapability 45 is tagged in a preferred embodiment with the resource IDand supplier service ID, and is characterized in the data structure byone or more of availability, duration, cost, duration max, duration min,duration interval, and perhaps a textual description. A single resource,it should be noted, may have, if a person, a relatively wide range inskill set, and may therefore be capable of performing a relatively broadrange of services. A resource capability represents one such skill ofsuch a resource.

[0059] Data structure 47 represents supplier services. A supplierservice is defined as a service that is provided by one or moreresources associated with a particular supplier. An example is an oilchange that may be provided by Sam the mechanic. Supplier services willin many cases be instances of global services (or simply “services”),meaning that an oil change may be provided by resources associated withseveral different suppliers. In other instances a supplier service maybe specific to a single supplier, and therefore proprietary. Whether asupplier service is an instance of a generic service or specific to thesupplier is determined by a service ID associated with the supplierservice. Note that a service, however specific, is not a reservable, butmerely a description of actions that may be performed with and byresources for a customer.

[0060] Another data structure, labeled service 49, represents the globalservices defined by the hosting enterprise. These services are alwaysglobal, such as dinner, an oil change, or a haircut. A particular use ofthe global service data structure is in classifying services offered bysuppliers to become inventory as reservables, so that the customer mayreadily search for available service inventory across suppliers. Theseservice definitions remain fixed over relatively long periods in thesystem, but are not invariable, as the hosting enterprise will rely onthe suppliers to further define existing services and even to invent newservices from time to time.

[0061] Yet another data structure 51, labeled vertical, is a verticalmap, which identifies an industry category of services that areidentical or very nearly identical. Tagging services with a vertical keyis advantageous in limiting searches made, for example, on behalf ofcustomers looking for certain kinds of services, generally provided bysimilar types of businesses. Another data structure 53, labeled verticalservice map, combines service ID from structure 49 with the vertical keyfrom structure 51.

[0062] Data structure 55 labeled supplier login, is a data structurespecifying the format for login accounts of contracting suppliers. Adata structure 57 identifies support persons, such as knowledge workers,who may be authorized to enter and amend various information in thedatabase. Another data structure 59, labeled supplier/customer profile,is a structure allowing the hosting enterprise to store and accessinformation about customers that is specific to particular suppliers andwhich may be used to offer those customer priority service, discounts,special pricing, and so forth at those suppliers. In the exchange modelthis data structure may also profile suppliers, and many services madepossible by the unique aspects of the present invention depend uponinformation developed on both customers and suppliers and stored asprofile information.

[0063] Data structure 61, labeled engagements, represents engagementsmade by customers against reservables. Each reservation data record isenhanced by information completely identifying the engagement, such asCustomer ID, resource ID, supplier service ID, start time, and end time,and other information such as properties, party name, contact phone, andspecial requests. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that notall of the information is strictly required, and in some cases otherinformation may be required.

[0064] Data structure 63 identifies to some extent each customertransacting with the exchange or with the single host of the service.This data structure includes information such as full name, given name,surname, nickname or alias, phone number, region key, login name, e-mailaddress, and in some cases other information. Structure 65 storesdetails of customer credit cards for charging against reservations made.Credit card information includes such as nickname, card number,expiration date, full name, customer ID, and address ID.

[0065] Data structure 67 is for defining geographic regions in whichservices may be offered. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan thatthere is a broad variety of ways regions may be structured. In generalregions in preferred embodiments of the present invention are structuredreasonably for customer physical access to services. Data structure 69,labeled customer address, is for storing customer addresses, includingat least street address, city, state or province, country code, postalcode, and contact phone. Regional compartmentalization is very usefulfor efficiency purposes in many aspects of the present invention.Typically, for example, a person (customer) shopping for a new mufflerwill want to transact with a supplier in the same town or general areaas his/her home. This is not a strict limitation, however, becausetravelers may certainly wish to engage services along the routes oftheir travel, which may be extensive and global in nature.

[0066] Data structure 71, labeled engagement reminder, stores dataentities relative to engagements, and is provided to generate reminders(alerts) for customers of contracts (engagements) made to use servicesof suppliers in the exchange, or of the supplier in the single-hostmodel. Reminders may take the form of an email, an automated phonemessage, a fax, a pager message, and so on. Information includes such asreservation ID, customer ID, reminder time, and type. Reminders may beescalatory in nature as well, with repeat reminders spaced more closelyand expressed with increasing urgency.

[0067] The interconnecting arrows in FIG. 2 indicate interrelationshipsbetween the various data types and structures. Given the set of datastructures described with reference to FIG. 2, and suitable controlfunctions and software described in enabling detail below, reservablesare created (instantiated) in an ongoing fashion from unions andintersections of other data entities, customers may be efficiently andquickly matched with resources associated with contracting suppliers,and a variety of pre-and post reservation services may also be provided.It should be remembered, as well, as described above, that in some casesengagements may be made by customers with specific suppliers, and insome cases engagements may be contracted between a customer and theenterprise hosting the service exchange in an embodiment of theinvention. In the latter case, the engagement is supplier-independent,and the enterprise hosting the exchange has latitude in specifying asupplier after an engagement is contracted with the customer.Supplier-independent reservables and engagements are not denizens ofsingle-host systems.

[0068] In some cases, after an engagement is made, the consummation isleft up to the supplier and customer. In other cases, however, thesystem, having detailed knowledge of all engagements, may offer andprovide alert services, reminding customers of engagements. Suchreminders can take a variety of forms, such as e-mail, automaticfacsimile, telephone reminder, pager service, and so forth. Remindersand alerts may also be provided on an escalatory basis, so that acustomer may be reminded of an engagement at one point in time, and thenagain at a time closer to the scheduled time of the engagement.

[0069] Inventory Development

[0070] As has been described in some detail above, the system of thepresent invention in a preferred embodiment comprises an exchangewherein customers may contract for services represented as reservableentities associated with specific suppliers, and in other embodiments ina supplier-independent manner. Reservables in the system are relativelyrigidly defined and are calculated regularly from other data in thesystem to become reservable data structures in a time-based inventory.It is, of course, necessary to develop the inventory to have anything tosell to customers. And, since the reservables are functions of servicedefinitions, suppliers, resources, resource capabilities, and the like,these entities must be generated to develop reservable inventory.

[0071] In a preferred embodiment, considering the multiple-supplierexchange model, there are a variety of different ways in which businessenterprises which wish to participate may do so. One method provided bythe system of invention is through a browser interface. FIG. 3 is aschematic drawn from FIG. 1 of supplier communication with the systemfor creating a supplier relationship with system, and for such othertasks as defining and posting reservables with the system. In thisarrangement a supplier may interact with the system on server 23 bymeans of PC 14 at supplier station 12, establishing connection to theInternet 31 via ISP 18. The skilled artisan will be aware, again, thatthe schematic is representative of all of the conventional means bywhich a supplier may accomplish Internet connection.

[0072] In one embodiment interaction by a supplier with theexchange-model system is via a conventional browser, which isrepresented in FIG. 3 by software 73. In the supplier interaction server23 provides an interactive interface by virtue of software 29. In thisenvironment the interactive interface may be a Web page, the Web pagehaving interactive communication input mechanisms whereby the potentialsupplier may become familiar with the requirements of the system, andmay provide needed information to become a registered supplier. In otherembodiments supplier interaction with the system may take place in otherways, such as, for example, by mail or by telephone, such as through atelephony call center, wherein the customer may interact in some caseswith live agents, and in other cases with automated interactive voiceresponse (IVR) systems.

[0073] Referring again to FIG. 2, there are a number of data structuresthat relate directly to suppliers. For example, structure 41 labeledsuppliers, structure 55 labeled supplier login, service 49, supplierservice 47, resource 43, resource capability 45, and reservable 39. Inthe interaction represented by the arrangement of FIG. 3 a supplier maystructure a contractual relationship with the system, and provide all ofthe information needed for populating the data entities that the systemneeds to periodically instantiate reservables from the other datastructures.

[0074] No attempt is made here to illustrate a design for a graphical,interactive interface, because the mechanisms of such interactiveinterfaces are notoriously well-known in the art. Instead, the processof the supplier interaction with the system is described below in somedetail.

[0075] A first step in a supplier relationship in the exchange model isfor the supplier to register with the system. This registration is aprocess of the supplier providing information to the system, and thesystem validating and recording the information. Referring again now toFIG. 2, this first step in registration is associated with datastructures 41, labeled suppliers, and supplier login 55. In the processof supplier registration a potential supplier is asked to provideidentification information such as full company name, at least oneaddress, city, state, state or province, a country code, a city code,postal code, and perhaps various other information. The system may, forexample, require background information such as financial health,banking information, and such things as maps and the like which may beneeded for customers to take advantage of offered services.

[0076] Once a supplier is registered with the system, that supplier isassigned (or may choose) a supplier name and a password, which typicallybecome a part of data structure 55 labeled supplier login.

[0077] Once a supplier is registered with the system, and the enterprisehosting the system has validated and authenticated the supplier, thesupplier becomes a part of the system. It will be appreciated that, oncea supplier is registered, it will be necessary to perform regular andperiodic updates, both from the host system's side, and from thesupplier's side.

[0078] It is now necessary to define what the supplier can and willsupply, and this definition can take place quite neatly without creatinga reservable. An important ingredient in defining supplier services is,referring again to FIG. 2, is data structure 49, labeled service. Datastructure 49 is typically a global service definition provided solely bythe system. There may be a relatively large number of global services 49defined by the system. These define many kinds of services that may beoffered eventually as reservables by the system in a completelysupplier-independent manner, and also serve to guide suppliers indefining the kinds of services they may offer through the system. Theseglobal services are services with definitions agreed to by the systemand by individual and specific suppliers. For example, dinner for four,two in a hot tub, a man's haircut, or a hairstyling session. In oneaspect of the invention suppliers may agree to supply certain servicesaccording to the global service definition. In another aspect suppliersmay define more proprietary services. In yet another aspect the system,having access to a number of suppliers, has the option of creatingreservables, against potentially significant demand, without havingthose reservables associated with a specific supplier. These are thesupplier-independent reservables described in some detail above. In thiscontext it is helpful to contemplate that the kinds of services thatbusinesses supply are not generated by the resources, but arepre-defined. That is, a particular business seeks to be a provider of acertain kind of services, and typically seeks and engages resources tobe able to provide such services.

[0079] Suppliers will further provide information to the system allowingthe system to create reservables based on supplier-specificcapabilities. Reservables that are specific to a particular supplier andresource can also be queried independent of that supplier and resource,by way of the inherent association of those reservables with a globalservice. Thus, the system may allow consumers to broadly search forengagements by scanning reservables that are independent of supplier orwhich are actually specific to suppliers, or potentially both types ofreservables, without necessarily exposing this detail to the end user.This includes data structure 43 of FIG. 2, labeled resource. A beautyshop, for example, may have four hairdressers, each of which may beentered in the system as a resource. A resource is listed with a name,availability, and perhaps a policy indication. A resource need not be aperson, however, and may be an object or location. As an example, aresource may be a fully equipped hairdresser's station. Referring now todata structure 45, labeled resource capability, this data structure maybe imputed based upon supplier resources. For example, the capability ofhairdressers, as described above, may be limited by the availability ofequipped stations, which are also resources. In other instances resourcecapabilities are entered by suppliers against explicitly known (andcontrolled) resources.

[0080] Typically a supplier, in a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention will be prompted to provide additional information such asavailability of resources with respect to time. It may be, for example,that a particular beauty shop as a supplier may have a schedule of beingopen only on weekdays, and never on weekends. It may also be true thatcertain hairdressers employed by the particular beauty shop areavailable only on certain days, or only at certain times of certaindays. The same beauty shop may have service people trained to domanicures and pedicures as well, and these personnel may be available ondifferent schedules than the hairdressers. Nevertheless, given a gooddefinition of the supplier's standard hours of operation, all theresources of a supplier, and on the availability and capability (skills)of all the resources of that supplier, the system can create(instantiate) reservables associated with all of that particularsupplier's resources and services over a specific time window.

[0081] Further, given the information provided as described aboverelative to the resources and availabilities of a supplier, the systemmay look to the supplier as a provider for supplier-independentreservables. It will be appreciated by the skilled artisan that there isvery great variety of suppliers that may be represented in the system.Only a relatively few examples have been given.

[0082] Referring again to FIG. 1, a generalized customer connection tothe system is illustrated by customer station 11 connecting to Internet31 through high ISP 17. It was described above that this illustration ismeant to represent all of the different ways that a customer mightconnect to the system in an embodiment of the invention.

[0083] A customer, in preferred embodiment of the present invention, mayconnect and interact through a Web browser, interfacing to the systemthrough Web pages provided by server 23. Again, as in the description ofsupplier interaction above, the mechanisms for such interaction arenotoriously well-known, and it is not necessary or germane to theinvention to describe such interactive interfaces in detail here. Theinterface the customer sees, however, will be very different than theinterface seen by a supplier. The skilled artisan will appreciate thatthe customer interface may be nearly the same whether the system is ofthe single-supplier or the exchange model.

[0084] There are a broad variety of ways reservables may be presented topotential customers. A customer may, in one embodiment, be presentedwith a graphical interface allowing the customer to select amongdifferent classes of services available. In an alternative embodiment acustomer may simply be asked to specify an interest, which might be donethrough an editable field or a graphical element such as a drop-downmenu, or an icon. There are many possibilities. It is simply requiredthat the customer be able to communicate an interest in a service to thesystem, and that the system, in turn, be able to present candidatereservables to the customer for consideration. The interactive interfacenecessarily also includes a way for the customer to negotiate in someinstances, and to select from offered reservables, that is, make anengagement. It will be appreciated that, in general, the customerinterface will be a bit simpler for the single host model.

[0085] In one aspect of the invention a customer may be what is known inother arts as a walk in. By a walk in in this sense, is meant a customerwho visits the system on-line, but is previously unknown to the system,rather than a person who walks into one of the suppliers' premises. Thisis a customer previously unknown to the system, who is welcomed, andselects to make an engagement from the inventory of reservablespresented by the system. In this case it is typically necessary for thesystem to validate the customer, at least to some extent. There are anumber of ways this may be done. In one philosophy (and embodiment) thesystem may automatically validate a new customer for a firsttransaction, based on a more extended validation to be done in theinterim between the engagement transaction and the actual delivery ofthe engaged reservable to the customer, which is, because of the natureof the time-based inventory, to be delivered at some time future to theengagement transaction. In this extended process, contact informationwill have been elicited from the customer, such as telephone, address,e-mail address, employment, credit card(s) (structure 65, FIG. 2), andso on; at least a subset of such information. The customer will havebeen entered in the database (structure 63, FIG. 2), at leasttemporarily.

[0086] In the interim period, a subset of SW 29 (FIG. 3) does checkupson the customer information, and validates or invalidates the customer.In this process there may be automated or manual re-communication withthe customer for further information or to clarify information. Once thecustomer is validated a status change is made in the customer datastructure for the specific customer. This status may indicate that thecustomer is no longer temporary, and later, after an engagement andpayment history is established, may provide more granular status as tocustomer profile. This feature of the invention is enlarged upon in moredetail below.

[0087] In another aspect, a procedure may be established for customersto enter the system and be validated before making engagements, and anentry point to such a procedure is, in one embodiment, enabled through ahyperlink on the interface page that a browsing potential customerencounters.

[0088] Two distinctions are made. Firstly, the system distinguishesbetween known/authenticated (“online”) customers andunknown/unauthenticated (“offline”) customers—a supplier may only wantto accept reservations (engagements) from known/authenticated customers,while another may not require authentication. Note that the credentialrequired for authentication may vary, as mentioned above in thedescription of customer validation, and can be configured by supplier.One supplier might require the email address of the customer have beenvalidated, for instance, while another also requires a valid creditcard. The system handles both types of customers and suppliers, andremembers which customers have (not) been authenticated. Secondly, realwalk-ins may be directly visiting a supplier, and more generally fallinto the category of engagements entered into the system by the supplieron that customer's behalf Again, the system is able to automaticallydetermine if a customer is known and authenticated and establishes theappropriate relationship between the new engagement and the onlinecustomer—or, if the customer is not known, associates the engagementwith an offline customer (which may include name and other contact infobut for whatever reason is not authenticated. There may not besufficient time for this if the customer is at the business' premises.

[0089] The notion of customer listing, validation, and authentication isa very important ingredient in the present invention. The presentsystem, both for suppliers in the exchange model, and in the single-hostmodel, has a real capability to become a broad-based tool for businessstrategy and management, and knowledge of customers is a criticalingredient. Many services bearing on strategy, management, yield and thelike are described further below, and most bear to some extent oncustomer profile.

[0090] One of the bits of information that the system derives fromcustomer interaction is regional inclusion. Typically the system,depending on geographic extent, will operate at least partly throughregional indexing. From each customer's address or postal code, forexample, the system may classify the customer as domiciled within one oranother system-defined region. The customer's region may have importanteffect in presentation of reservables to any particular customer forengagement transaction. The regional classification applies also tosuppliers, and through supplier region to a region index for certainreservables in the system. It will be appreciated by the skilled artisanthat not all transactions by customers for services from suppliers willbe for services to be performed in a region common to both the supplierand the customer. In many cases this will be so, but there is also thecase of, for example, the business traveler preparing an itinerary for atrip. This customer may be traveling from his/her home base inCalifornia for a series of meetings in New York City, for example, andmay wish to contract for services while in New York city. This sort ofmore global, and even International matching of services to customerscan be much more sophisticated than these simple examples, and is one ofthe premier advantages of such a system. A customer authenticated by thesystem of the invention may then be authenticated to a broad range ofsuppliers on a global scale. Suppliers may be similarly qualified forthe confidence of customers.

[0091] Database Implementation and XML

[0092] There is much more to be disclosed and taught in the presentspecification relative to inventory development, presentation,transaction, and the like, and more such detail is provided below. Thefurther description, however, will benefit from a discussion at thispoint of database implementation, of the nature of data structures, andparticularly of time-related entities, which may be either time spans ortime intervals. In a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncertain database objects may be expressed in Extended Markup Language(XML), which is a network-related computer language notoriouslywell-known in the art. There are a number of good reference publicationsavailable to the skilled artisan covering the subject of XML, as well asa wealth of information available on the Internet on the subject. Theskilled artisan will have no difficulty reviewing the details of XML.

[0093] Timespan Treatment and Timespan Algebra

[0094] Database technology is a well-developed science in the computerarts, and much is available in the art as to how data entities may bestored, retrieved, and manipulated. For example, at a granular level,data in a digital repository is typically stored as binary strings(words in addressed locations). The size of a data repository may thenbe defined as a specific address space. At a higher level, data entitiesmay be expressed as JAVA objects in a standardized manner well-known inthe art, and certain functions lend themselves to such definition andexpression. The present invention makes use of these and other knownprotocols and techniques in several aspects.

[0095] The present inventors have noted that there are particularadvantages, in such as data transmission, for example, in representingcertain entities as XML strings. Among these entities are the recordsdescribed above that may be expressed as potentially infinite timespans. In a preferred embodiment many such records may be expressed forcertain purposes as XML strings. The system, for example, convertscustomer requests to XML expressions, and also expresses many databaseentities at some point as XML strings. The skilled artisan willrecognize that the software of the invention may covert between XML andother sorts of expressions.

[0096] A timespan in a preferred embodiment of the present inventionrepresents a potentially infinite set of time intervals, the timeintervals defined as half open so as to not logically overlap.

[0097] Reservables, and other time-dependent records, in a preferredembodiment of the present invention, are manipulated in context of a settheory of timespan algebra, described in some detail below. This algebrais used for several functions in operation of the system of theinvention in several embodiments, such as to determine, for example, ifa reservable intersects with and contains (completely overlaps in time)a customer reservation (engagement) request, indicating that thereservable is a candidate to fulfill the request.

[0098] Timespans may be established and used for any of several kinds ofdata records that are time-based. FIG. 4a is a schematic of somerelatively simple timespans according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, that may expressed as timespans in XML format. InFIG. 4a timespans with individual time intervals are shown for resources75, reservables 77, and engagements 79.

[0099] Timespan 75 for resources shows two time intervals 81 and 83 fora resource Bunny, who, in this embodiment is a worker in a hair and nailemporium. Bunny is shown as being available from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm andfrom 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm on a daily basis. This availability for aresource such as Bunny is stored in XML as a database entity in a mannerto be described in more detail below, wherein one record may describeavailability for Bunny over a potentially infinite time span in arelatively simple expression that describes the two time intervalsshown.

[0100] Timespan 76 in FIG. 4a for reservables illustrates two timeintervals 86 and 90. In interval 86 Bunny is illustrated as beingavailable for haircuts, manicures, washes, and sets from 8:00 AM to12:00 PM. Time interval 90 illustrates Bunny as available for the sameservices also from 10:00 PM until 5:00 PM. This reservable may berepresented as an XML expression. Certain time-varying properties of theresource and service may also be associated with reservables andcaptured in the XML expression, such as service cost if the supplier isimplementing dynamic pricing (explained in detail below). The formulafor time-varying properties are defined in the resource and/or resourcecapability, and regularly updated (e.g., nightly) across all generatedreservables to ensure the values are accurate. This allows rapid searchby time-varying properties, like price, without having to recalculatethe current price for each reservable for each search. Even thoughtimespans by definition may be infinite in extent, reservables are neverinfinite. If they were, and they are the inventory in the systemdescribed and taught herein, the database to store them would also bepotentially infinite. Reservables always have a definite start and endpoint in real time. The skilled artisan will recognize that there willbe, in a typical system practicing the present invention in any of itsseveral aspects, very many more reservables than those illustrated inFIG. 4; but the few shown are considered by the inventors to be adequatefor description. In another embodiment, the compound reservable forBunny might be represented as four separate reservables, one for Bunnyhaircuts, one for Bunny manicures, and one for Bunny washes, and one forBunny sets.

[0101] Timespan 79 in FIG. 4a illustrates engagements in the system.Engagements are the recorded reservation transactions made by the systemon behalf of customers. In the embodiment represented by FIG. 4a, as asimplified example, a customer in communication with the system may beseeking a haircut and may specify 10:00 AM as a preferred time. Thesystem, consulting vertical and regional mapping presents the bestmatches of reservables to the customer's request.

[0102] In a preferred embodiment a unique time-span algebra describedmore fully below is employed by the system in searching, selecting, andpresenting, and also in instantiating reservables from other databaseentities. In this algebra, the customers input is expressed in XMLterms, reservables from the database are expressed in XML terms, and thealgebra is employed to find intersections with reservables.

[0103] The customer (G. Smith) in the end selects a haircut from Bunnyfor 10:00 AM on Tuesday (day not indicated in FIG. 4a), resulting inengagement 95. The system records the engagement transaction, and storesthe engagement (reservation). A range of date is associated with theengagement, such as the customer ID, the supplier ID, the resource ID,the day, the time, and so forth.

[0104] There are a number of other services which may be provided by thesystem following the transaction initiated by a customer selecting aservice. Among them are informing the supplier (and the resource throughthe supplier) of the transaction, and alerting the customer at some timebefore the service is to be performed. There may also be variousaccounting services as a result of pre-arrangement between the systemand either or both of the supplier and the customer. A second engagement97 for Bunny at 11:00 AM for a haircut for D. Jones is also indicated inFIG. 4a.

[0105] An important feature in this embodiment is that services thatBunny may perform at any time during a specific time widow within whichthe system is working may be (before an engagement is made) representedby a single XML expression. The first engagement made necessarily breaksthe time span of a reservable into two pieces, each of which may berepresented by a separate XML expression. After an engagementtransaction the system simply represent the two unbroken pieces of theoriginal timeline by two new XML expressions as reservables. The skilledartisan will realize that the reservables are not necessarily stored inthe database as XML expressions, but in forms that may be converted ineither direction. A second engagement 97 breaks one of the tworeservables into, again two more reservables (now there are three). Thisunique representation provides a very large inventory of engagableservices (reservables) in a minimum representation, and keeps the numberas small as possible as new engagements are made and recorded.

[0106] Timespans, in the preferred embodiment, are represented within acomputational class hierarchy, according to object-oriented programmingtechniques. The timespan classes, as described herein, represent asequence of time intervals and the unique timespan algebra provided bythe inventors provides mechanisms for compiling time span expressionsand for manipulating and evaluating time span expressions. Timespanobjects (instances of the said classes) are efficiently stored in thedatabase as strings, or in other forms, and can represent things like:when a service is available, when a resource is available or when asupplier is available, as illustrated in FIG. 4a and as described above.

[0107] Each time span is half open, that is it includes its start timebut does not including its end time. This is usually represented as[start, finish) in set theory. The time spans can be based on aGregorian calendar or on absolute time, but they are stored andmanipulated without a time zone. The time zone is added only whentimespans are being “enumerated” to determine the actual time intervalsthey represent. Each instance of this class is immutable, allowing forcaching of time space sequences.

[0108]FIG. 4b represents an alternative embodiment in which reservables,such as 85, 87, 89, 91 and 93 are represented as discrete reservableunits, rather than as time spans or intervals. In this implementationmany more expressions are required in the database than in theembodiment described from FIG. 4a. In the embodiment represented by FIG.4b the system simply removes a discrete reservable each time anengagement transaction is made. Each transaction therefore reduces thenumber of reservables in the database.

[0109] The text language used to represent a timespan is based on XML,with the following syntax:

[0110] <timespan:DAILY fromHour=hh fromMinute=mm toHour=hh toMinute=mm/>

[0111] This expression represents a daily, half open span from the givenhour and minute to the given hour and minute. For example,

[0112] <timespan:DAILY fromHour15 toHour17/>represents a 2 hour periodfrom 3:00 pm to but not including 5:00 pm (half open).

[0113] A full day is represented by a Daily whose fromHour andfromMinute are equal to its toHour and toMinute values. The minutefields are optional, and the hour should be denoted in 24 hour time,i.e. 1 pm→13. Note that the span may include midnight by having the endtime precede the start time. Valid hour values are “0” to “23”, whilethe valid minute values are “0” to “59”.

[0114] <timespan:FIELD field=ff start=ss end=ee/>

[0115] This expression represents a half open interval in unitsdetermined by ff, which is a text representation of the fields from thejava.util. Calendar class, e.g. hour, or day_of_week. The starting valuefor that field is start, and end is the ending value for that field. Theend value may be less than the start value, which means that any valuenot in the range of end+1 to start−1. will match. The start and endvalues can be either numeric or string values(i.e., “1” or “February” or“Feb”). The numeric values for the months range from 0-11 (jan-dec),while the numeric values for the day_of week range from 1-7(sunday-saturday).

[0116] These values are not case sensitive. If the start value is equalto the end value, the time span sequence represents the timespan fromthe start value to and including the end value. For example, a Fieldtimespan from hour 13 to hour 13 represents the daily timespan from11:00 pm to but not including 2:00 pm.

[0117] <timespan:BETWEENMILLIS starttime=mmmmmmmmm endTime=mmmmmmmmm/>

[0118] represents a timespan from the given absolute time to the givenabsolute time. Note that the time may be given a decimal number ofmilliseconds from the Java epoch, or it can be given as a standardformat date representation, always including a time zone parameter. Theformat of the date is “yyyy.M.d HH:mm:ss.SSS z”, i.e. “1999.5.1112:11:12:322 PST”.

[0119] When specifying the time in standard date format, the string isenclosed in double quotes, i.e. <timespan:between mnllisstartTime=“1999.5.11 12:11:12:322 PST” endTime:“1999.5.20 4:40:35.000PST”>

[0120] <timespan:CAL year yyyy month=m day_of_month=d_hour_of day=hminute=m second=s millisecond=m/>

[0121] represents a single point in time (which has no duration). Exceptfor the “year” field, which is required, any subset of the above fieldsmay be used to specify the date. Unspecified fields are given theCalendar's default values, which are typically the lowest possible valuefor that field (Month=jan, hour=1, etc). The values for the field“month” can be either numeric or string values (i.e. “Feb”, or“Feburary” or “1”), while the rest of the fields must be numeric values(those numeric values that are valid for these fields according to thejava.util. Calendar class).

[0122] <timespan:DURATION field=ff distance=dd><CAL></timespan:DURATION>

[0123] represents a timespan beginning from CAL (a CAL timespandescribed above) and ending a time distance (in units of field) away.The field, ff, is a text representation of the fields from java.util.Calendar (i.e. hour, day of week,.), while the distance is a numericvalue that is within the particular field's valid range. (i.e “1”-“7”for the day_of_week field). The duration timespan will add in the unitsof the specified field, and not necessarily the absolute time-durationrepresented by that field. For example, if one adds a month to October30, the result would be November 31 (or a change of 31 days). However,if one adds a month to November 31, the result would be December 30 (ora change of 30 days).

[0124] <timespan:BETWEENCALS><CAL><CAL></timespan:BETWEENCALS>

[0125] represents a timespan ranging from the first encountered calendartag to the second calendar tag.

[0126] <timespan: SMEAR field=ff distance=v><TS></timespan: SMEAR>

[0127] This is an operation that extends either the start or beginningof the timespan, TS, by the specified distance. The distance is in unitsof field.

[0128] <timespan:TRANSLATE field=ff distance=v><TS></timespan:TRANSLATE>

[0129] represents an operation that translates the enclosed timespan,TS, by the time distance, distance. The time distance is in units offield ff (i.e. month, year, day_of_week, . . . ). Distance can be eithera positive or negative numeric value. The positive value translates thetimespan forward in time, while the negative value translates thetimespan backwards in time.

[0130] <timespan:UNION><TS1><TS1>. . . <TSn></timespan:UNION>

[0131] This is an operation that returns the timespan that is the unionof the enclosed n timespans.

[0132] <timespan:INTERSECT><TS1><TS2>. . . <TSn></timespan:INTERSECT>

[0133] This is an operation that returns the timespan that is theintersect of the enclosed n timespans.

[0134] <timespan:SUBTRACT><TS><TS></timespan:SUBTRACT>

[0135] This is an operation that subtracts the second time span, theminuend, from the first timespan, the subtrahend.

[0136] <timespan:INVERSE><TS></timespan INVERSE>

[0137] This is the inverse of its single argument time span.

[0138] <timespan:SIZEFILTER duration=d><TS></timespan:SIZEFILTER>

[0139] This operation filters out all spans of TS that are smaller thanthe value of duration. Duration is in units of milliseconds.

[0140] <timespan:REFERENCE ref=name>

[0141] represents a reference to another time span object definedsomewhere else. The context should be implicit in the place where thisobject is being read in.

[0142] <timespan:EMPTY/>

[0143] represents the empty set (no time).

[0144] <timespan:UNIVERSE/>

[0145] represents all time from the theoretical beginning to ending.

[0146] Time Window Limitation

[0147] Another characteristic of the system of the invention in apreferred embodiment is the fact of a moving window of active dataentities such as reservables and engagements. As described above, thetime span by definition, and by construction in XML, is theoreticallyinfinite in extent. For purposes of finite operations, a time window isimposed upon the database in a preferred embodiment, and operations aretypically confined to the time window. This widow is theoretically ofarbitrary extent, as well, and serves to limit the size of the datarepository wherein reservables and some other data structures are storedand to therefore limit the computational cost of operations thereupon.

[0148]FIG. 5 is an illustration of a six-week time window 104 from todaythrough a point six weeks hence showing reservables 100 and engagements102 in the database. The reservables portion within the time window isthe portion of the database that is searched to determine matches to acustomer's request for service. The reservables 100 are created fromresources available (instantiated), and in some cases defined againstfuture expected resources, and are implemented in the database withinthe window at any particular time. Because each time-based reservableentity is a positive expression this implementation of a time windowserves to limit the size of the active database, that is, the number ofentities that have to be stored and searched. The skilled artisan willbe aware, and it is clear from FIG. 2, that there are also many dataentities in the database that are not time-based, such as supplier ID,service maps, and the like, but these entities are all finite bydefinition, and a time window is not necessary to limit their number.

[0149] In a preferred embodiment, referring now to FIG. 2, reservablesare instantiated in the active time window on a periodic basis. Theprocess is by timespan algebra, wherein unions and intersections ofother entities represented in XML are determined to form reservables. Areservable may be thought of as an integration of a number of databaseentities, and is in fact generated by time span algebra operating onthese data entities. Vertical categories (verticals 51) define servicecategories as generic to different classes of enterprise, such asmedical, automotive, and so forth. These definitions serve to definespecific services 49, which may be amended for specific suppliers todefine supplier services 47, which now has the attributes of a supplier,the service definition, the vertical to which it belongs, cost, andduration. A supplier brings resources, such as Bunny and Melissa, forexample, who have certain skills and availability expressed astimespans. A union of these produces resource capabilities, which is nowto the level of a Melissa haircut, for example.

[0150] Timespan algebra as defined herein, and other data manipulationsserve to update the data available to the system on a regular basis,then, at selected points in time, reservables are instantiated fromthese other data entities, and projected over the active time window ofthe system. It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that at the timeof instantiating reservables, only the changes in data entities sincethe time of the last instantiation have to be considered.

[0151] Engagements are created in the database necessarily in real time,that is, at the time of the trailing moving edge of the time window,which is present time. However, since an engagement is a contractbetween a supplier and a customer for the supplier to provide a serviceat a future time and date, and for the customer to appear to takedelivery of the service, and since there is typically a specific timestart and end point for the engagement, engagements may be (and are inthis embodiment) projected forward into the time widow as shown in FIG.5.

[0152] In a preferred embodiment the system operates by moving the timewindow forward day by day, or on some other schedule. The window may bemoved on a daily basis in some embodiments, and on a different schedulein others, or may be updated (reservables instantiated from otherentities) on a continuous basis. There are a variety of calculationsthat are made in this process. For example, the day that passes andbecomes yesterday no longer has reservables or engagements. One cannotengage a service to be performed in time past. At the same time,reservables are instantiated in the database for the time window whenthe window moves forward by a day, for example to the position shown bywindow 106 in FIG. 5.

[0153] In another aspect of the invention, the system, in addition tocreating and recording engagements in the time window, also doesaccounting services relative to engagements. This process may begin insome cases at the point of engagement, because, in the system of theinvention, in many cases the inventory may be marketed, sold, andaccounted for by the enterprise hosting the system, rather than byindividual suppliers. In other cases the beginning of such an accountingprocess may be delayed somewhat, but typically will start between thetime the engagement is made and the time the engagement is consummated,that is, the service is actually delivered to the customer. In one case,the hosting enterprise contracts with suppliers for services, andbecomes a service reseller, accounting for transactions with customers,and paying suppliers for services in bulk units. In many cases theaccounting system in all of its various aspects, is separate from thedatabase shown in FIG. 2, but cooperates and communicates with thedatabase of FIG. 2 in performing the accounting and transactionalfunctions.

[0154] Returning again to FIG. 5, the typical situation is that matchingcustomer's requests to reservables, and recording of engagements alloccurs within time window 104/106. There are, however, situationswherein a request for service may be beyond the time window, forexample. There is also the situation wherein demand is large, andwaiting lists may be created. In either of these cases, and perhapsothers, operations may be made outside the moving time window, in whichcase reservables are generated dynamically by the system, now alsonecessarily accounting for existing reservations outside the timewindow, to determine service availability.

[0155] System Operations

[0156] Given the set of timespan expressions and the time span functionsdescribed above, a unique system and method for marketing and sellingtime-related inventory to customers is provided. In this system,inventory of reservable services (reservables) is semi-continuouslycreated, and through presentation to customers seeking services, thereservables are matched with customer's requests, and after typicallysome negotiation, engagements are created, which are eventuallyconsummated, at least to a great extent. By the unique nature of thesystem in embodiments of the invention, there is a unique variety in thetransaction processes that may be accomplished.

[0157]FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating one exemplaryprocess flow in an embodiment of the invention. At step 99 a customerenters the system through an interface as described above. In theprocess, if the customer is known to the system, the system consults thedatabase and identifies the customer at step 101. If the customer is newto the system the customer is prompted for certain information, beforebeing entered to the system. In some cases the customer may not beallowed to enter the system.

[0158] In the initial customer interaction the system determines, aswell, the customer location, also at step 101. This is an importantcriteria in most cases, because it is only the inventory local to thecustomer that may be of interest to the customer.

[0159] At step 103 the customer indicates his/her preference(s). Thesystem consults a vertical map and regional keys (see FIG. 2) in step105, and thus limits database interaction (searching) to a small portionof the stored data records, being those records that will be of interestto the customer. This ability to refine the search is of considerableimportance. In some cases, as alluded to above, there will be no strictconfinement to a specific region. A customer may be seeking services,for example, specifically in a region remote from the customer's home orbusiness. These cases are handled by the nature of the customerrequests, and by interaction by the system with the customer.

[0160] At step 109 the system, having performed the limited search,presents qualified reservables for the customer's selection. In thisstep, there may be incremental interaction between the system and thecustomer, and additional search steps as a result. At step 107 thecustomer makes a selection, and at step 111 the system creates a newengagement. The engagement is entered into the database, and becomes anobject upon which the system may continue to act (113) until at leastthe time the engagement is consummated at a future date.

[0161] As described to some extent above, after making an engagement,the system must amend the reservables database. The reservable engagedis no longer available. In the case of discrete reservables (alternativeembodiment) the system simply removes the reservable which was engagedby the customer In the case of time-line reservables, the system amendsthe reservables appropriately to illustrate and offer the service notengaged in previous transactions.

[0162] In this process, the localization is not quite as simple aslimiting all qualified reservables to a geographic region centered onthe customer's address, for example, although this may often be thecase. In many cases, the customer may specify a region remote fromhis/her locality. For example, a customer may be creating an itinerary,and wish to engage services in a faraway locale for certain dates. Acustomer might also engage services for another, such as a friend or afamily member, in a different locale, and interface tools are providedby the system for these purposes.

[0163] Dynamic Pricing

[0164] Provision is made in the system for a number of novel functions.For example, pricing of time-based inventory may be dynamic. As a simpleexample of dynamic pricing of time-based inventory in this context,consider the six-week time window (exemplary), and the fact that alltransactions with a customer occur now. The enterprise hosting thesystem may contract with suppliers for one price, say a fixed price overthe time window period, but market the inventory at other prices. In thedynamic context there may be a relatively higher price for engagementswithin one to three days, a lesser price from three days to one week,and a sliding scale beyond one week, with engagements made six weeks outat a minimum price. There are many possibilities for time-based dynamicpricing. In another example, dynamic pricing may also be based on suchas inventory level. Supply and demand becomes freely applicable, withthe relative supply and the relative demand determining pricing, andmechanisms may be included for applying intelligence to pricing based ontransaction history stored for a particular customer.

[0165] In another aspect, pricing may be varied by day of the week,time-of-day, or time-of the month or year, encouraging potentialcustomers to purchase offered reservables at times that statisticallysupport a lower level of purchase activity.

[0166] In yet another aspect pricing may be entirely flexible, as in anyone of several types of auctions. Such an auction may be a straightauction, wherein the customer is provided interface tools for bidding onavailable time-based inventory. The controller of the auction may be theenterprise hosting the system of the invention, having pre-contractedfor reservables. In other cases the hosting enterprise may act as anauctioneer for individual suppliers, who control their own pricing.

[0167] In another aspect time-based inventory may be offered by reverseauction, wherein customers list services they wish to engage, the systemmatches the listed services with reservables, and individual suppliersrespond by bidding to provide the best price.

[0168] In yet another aspect time-based inventory may be subject toDutch auction. Dutch Auctions are a special auction format where asupplier has multiple, identical services he or she wishes to sell. Theseller specifies the minimum price (the starting bid) and the number ofreservables available. Bidders bid at or above that minimum for thequantity they are interested in purchasing. At the close of the auction,the highest bidders purchase the items at the lowest successful bid.

[0169] Also, the enterprise hosting the system may enable customers toaggregate to increase their buying power. For instance, customers couldplace group reservations (engagements) at a volume discount, and thesupplier(s) involved might service this reservation individually or alltogether. There are many alternative scenarios for dynamic pricing.

[0170] Special Circumstances in Transaction Matching

[0171] The unique model of the system of the present invention allows anumber of services to be offered to potential customers that may nototherwise be available. For example, there are, in a preferredembodiment, automated wait lists for services that may not be currentlyavailable. Similar lists may be offered for highly desirable services,such as a table on a preferred evening at a desirable restaurant. Inother cases, there may be a market for re-selling no-shows. For anupscale establishment, for example, the service of the invention maymaintain a waiting list of people who are willing to respond quickly to,for example, take a table at a restaurant in place of a party thatcancels or simply does not show up. The time frame differs for late andno-show, as well, and presents opportunities for dynamic pricing. In oneembodiment the system of the invention may provide a service whereincustomers agree to cancel within a time frame prior to the engagementtime, or forfeit the price of the service, or at least a portion of theprice of the service. In this situation, the broken engagement can stillbe resold if there is enough time.

[0172] In any of these cases engaging customers are notified when theservice becomes available, and auction aspects may also have interplay.In some cases subscribing customers may be given preference according topurchase history and the like. In some embodiments the customer mayspecify the mode of contact preferred for alert that a reservable hasbecome available, such as by telephone, facsimile, pager, and the like;or a combination of alert modes. In another embodiment reservables maybe bundled, and the bundle treated and marketed as an entity.

[0173] Many such services, including automated yield management areservices that may be supplied by the hosting enterprise to suppliers,and there are, in a preferred embodiment, pricing models for providingsuch services to supplier businesses.

[0174] Service Coloring and Shading According to Profile, History andPreference

[0175] As described above, suppliers are registered with and known tothe hosting enterprise, and the host may make a broad variety ofcontractual relationships with suppliers. There will be, in manyinstances of the system, a single supplier, such as instances where thesystem is configured for one enterprise. Similarly, it was describedabove that customers, once they enter and use the system, become knownto the system. The system in one aspect keeps continuously updatedrecords of all transactions, and makes updates to both supplier andcustomer history. Many special services to both suppliers and customersmay be predicated on such historical record. A customer with an activeand regular purchase record will, in some embodiments, be offeredspecial breaks, coupons, and the like, and may also be given priority incertain situations; where inventory becomes relatively scarce for atime, for example. In some cases there may be special relationshipsbetween suppliers and customers, and joint profile and history recordsmay be kept and used. Certain suppliers may wish to accord VIP status tocertain customers, and to provide special advantages to such customers.

[0176] In another aspect of the invention, for relatively scarceresources, the system may track engagements and demand; and in somecases customers holding engagements at an agreed-to price may be offereda takeback at a higher price, as the system will have a waiting customerwilling to pay yet a higher price for the reservable. This service isalso a part of yield management for certain subscribing suppliers.

[0177] There are other opportunities that may be pursued in the systemrelative to profiling as well, such as customer ranking (VIP), and suchranking may be shared among suppliers in some embodiments. The samekinds of ranking may apply to suppliers.

[0178] In another embodiment services are provided to customers enablingcustomers to barter and trade engagements, which may be viewed bycustomers as assets of variable value. The value of an engagement assetmay be somewhat intrinsic, and also subject to customer taste.Opportunities exist, for example, for customers to purchase engagements,and resell or barter. In one sense, engagements may be treated ascommodities or stocks, and traded as such.

[0179] The inventors are aware that the disclosure presented herein is acomprehensive disclosure, and the inventors believe that there are arelatively large number of inventions disclosed herein, some of whichmay be patentably distinct. The inventors have made an effort to presentin this application only claims to a single patentably distinctinvention. Other cases are or will be filed from this disclosure withother claim sets for examination.

[0180] In addition to the above, it will be apparent to the skilledartisan that there are many alterations that may be made to theembodiments described above while remaining within the spirit and scopeof the invention. The claims presented below should therefore beaccorded the widest possible scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for managing a yield of engagementscreated from available resources (reservables) within a database-driventransaction system comprising the steps of: (a) compiling historyrecords relative to engagement-disposition parameters associated withsuppliers of resources contracting with the transaction system; (b)determining, through ongoing study of the history records, averageutilization percentages of the actual resources by engaged clients atthe locations of the resources; and (c) adjusting the volume of actualsupplier resources represented within the transaction system, which maybe converted to engagements, the adjustment based on mathematicalfactors created from the average resource-utilization percentagesexperienced at the supplier locations.
 2. The method of claim 1 whereinin step (a), the engagement-disposition parameters include averagepercentage statistics related to abandoned engagements.
 3. The method ofclaim 2 wherein in step (a), the engagement-disposition parametersinclude average percentage statistics related to rescheduledengagements.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein in step (a), theengagement-disposition parameters include average percentage statisticsrelated to number of clients simultaneously utilizing one engagementperiod.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein in step (a), history recordsare individual to individual suppliers of resources.
 6. The method ofclaim 4 wherein step (a), a single history record encompasses aplurality of like resources available from a plurality of suppliers. 7.The method of claim 1 wherein in step (c), the volume of actual supplierresources is multiplied by the mathematical factor to determineadditional engagement opportunities.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein instep (c), the claim of actual supplier resources is multiplied by themathematical factor to determine a restriction of engagementopportunities.
 9. A method for managing a yield of engagements createdfrom available resources (reservables) within a database-driventransaction system comprising the steps of: (a) categorizing likeresources available from suppliers according to geographic region; (b)compiling historical records related to engagement-dispositionparameters associated with all of the like resources in each definedgeographic region; (c) studying the historical records to determine anddefine percentage statistics of resource utilization associated witheach region; (d) identifying immediate geographic preferences of clientsengaging the resources available within the transaction system; and (e)load balancing engagement utilization states of available resources ineach region by offering incentives to clients willing to engageresources available in a non-local region.
 10. The method of claim 9wherein in step (a), the resources include human resources.
 11. Themethod of claim 10 wherein in step (a), the resources includeservice-bay resources.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein in step (b),the historical records include parameters related to multitaskingcapabilities of human and inanimate resources.
 13. The method of claim12 wherein in step (d), geographic preferences include regions local toclient residences.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein in step (d),geographic preferences include real-time locations of clients engagingin travel.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein in step (e), theidentification of suppliers is not known to the client until the time ofengagement of available resources.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein instep (e), the incentive to clients is a price-based incentive.